Separating mechanism for mail-matter.



J. T. LYNCH. SEPARATING MECHANISM POR MAIL MATTER. APPLICATION I'ILBD PB B.20, 1911.

1,058,314. Patented Apr. o, 1913.

Unrrnn Simfree PATENT; onnron JOHN T. LYNCH, OF CHICG'O, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOR TO THE B. F. CUMMINS COMPANY, .A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SEPARATING MECHANISM FOR IIVLAIIA-IVIATTER'.

Specification of Letters Patent. v

Patented Apr. s, 1913D Application filed February 20, 1911. Serial No. 609,724.

To all whom t may concern.' t

Be it known that I, JOHN T. LYNCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Separating Mechanism for Mail-Matter,'of which the following is a description, reference lbeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part oi' this specification, in which corresponding letters of reference in the dierent figures indicate like parts.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective separating mechanism for mail matter applicable topost-marking and other similar machines for handling mail, which shall'be so constructed as to cause a satisfactory separation of the mailpieces as they are advanced upon a conveyer while preventing them from becoming clogged when a number are presented at once or in too rapid succession.

-ll`o these ends my invention consists in the combination of elements hereinafter more particularly described and delinitely set iorth in the claims.

the example illustrated., I have shown the device applied to an ordinai'y post-marking' machine in which it is necessary to separate the mail-pieces before they are presented to the canceling die,

Figure l, is a plan view of a portion of a postmarking machine showing the'usual conveyer belt, feed mechanism and marking' die with my improved separato-r as it would appear when applied; thereto, Fig. 2, is a like view showing the conveyer anAx feed mechanism as they'would appear with a considerable number ot mail-pieces presented for separation, and Fig., 8, is an enlarged detail view showing the construction of the joint between the two presser plates,

Referring to' the drawings, l represents the table of/an ordinary poet-markin ma-- chine upon which is umuntedy the usua' conn veyer belt sup orted atits ends, upon iorizontal rollers in. a well known wayA i reed-belt 3, mounted upon pulleys e, having vertical sues, only oit which is shown, is 'to convey the mail-pieces in the usuallway a marking die-5. A, shield.l 6, :tor supporting' and directing the mailpieces 'in the vproper path together-with, the usual impression roller 7 and timing linger 8, with other mechanism essential to their operation, but not herein claimed, are shown but need not be described at length* A vertical shield plate 9, is rigidly sup-f ported in any approved way above and lengthwise of the conveyer belt 2, to kform a side wall or support for such mail-pieces l0, as may be advanced upon the conveyer belt.

which may be of indefinite length, so that letters may be placed thereon singly or in bunches as they are delivered to any ordinary canceling machine or it may be utilized in conjunction-with the runway or chute of a pick-up-table. Hinged at 11 tothe part 9, is

a yielding wing-section 'or presser-plate 12,

the forward portion of which upon its inner face, is serrated as shown at 13. An arm lll, is rigidly attached to the back of lthe plate 12the :tree end ot' which is adaptedto 'rest normally against an adjustable stop consisting of a set-screw 15,'tapped into a bracket `16, rigidlyattached to the trame. A spring 17, is attached to said bracket and arranged. to press against the back of the plate 12, so as to normally hold the latter in the position shown in Fig. l' with the end of the plate very close to the surfaceoi the feed-belt 3, the space between the two being only suicient to' permit the forward end of a mail@ piece to enter; The adjust-ment may be eitected by means ofthe set-:screw l5. deintedly connectedto the forward end of the wing-section l2, as shown at 1 8, is a shorter member or section i9, which is also-serrated upon its inner tace as shown. A short rod 19 is jointedly connected at 20 to a lug upon the back of the torward `end oit the wing section 19, which rod is arranged substan tially at right angles to' the letter-path and is loosely projected through a bore in astud' mai pieces as may be moving in a compact bunch 'in the outer portion ol the path or next to the wing 12 and prevent them from. wedging into the throat of the device before v thosenearer to the feed belt can be advanced.

I have indicatedin the drawings what I have regarded as the best disposition of the sections 12 and 19, wit-h respect to the beginning of the feed mechanism; that is to say, that a portion at,least of one of said sections, preferably the section 12, should be arranged to precede the beginning of the operation of the feed mechanism as shown, while a portion at least of the other is located in advance, thereof. f

Inasmuch as the wing-sections 12 and 19 are made of metal, themfractional surfaces may not always be suflicient to insure complete separation. As a means of precaution therefore, I preferably employ a reverse .separatingroller 25 atthe forward end of the wing 19 and close to the feed-belt, in conjunction with the separating device described.

I prefer to make the spring which presses against the wing-section 12 somewhat stronger than that which controls the section 22 for the reasonthat it is frequently required to resist greater lateral pressure. This is especially true when the separator is used in conjunction with a pick-up-table where it is customary for the operators to' place an entire bunch of faced Inailpieces upon the conveyer belt iwithout any attempt at separation. When such a bunch isbrought into contact with the section 12 it is moved laterally to such an `eXtent as would permit the passage of two or more of those nearest the feed belt. This result, however, is prevented by the action of the section 19 which is independently pressed by the spring 22.and l serves to retard all but one of the advanced mail-pieces. Another diificulty is liable. to occur, however, in presenting a compact bunch to the separator and that is, if too many are permit-l ted to enter the'throat at once they may become wedged so as to delay or pre'vent the proper action. The play in the joint between theJ twosections tends to overcome this difficulty by permitting the knuckles upon the section 19 to stand slightly nearer to the feed belt than those upon the section 12 and Ithus form a temporary obstruction to kprevent the advancement of the bunch too far into the throat of the separator. This 'continues until the mail-pieces adjacent tor the belt are advanced thereby and the eX- kcessive Width of the pack reduced. 'Ihe lateral play inthe joint needs to be butslight and under ordinary working conditions is not necessary at all. A

Having thus described my invention, what I- claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent iszf 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with feed mechanism. for conveying mail-pieces endwise in a given path, of separating means consisting of a presserwing comprising a plurality of sections jointedly connected. to each other, said sections being arrai ged yadjacent to said path, yielding means for exerting a pressure upon each section to press it toward the mailpieces, said sections being arranged toassume varying angles with respect to the mail-piece path in conformity to the varying counter-pressure of the mail-pieces, the' rear end of the rear section being jointedly connected to the wall adjacent to the mailpiece path.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with conveying and feeding means of a separator comprising a presserwing composed of sections jointedly connected to each other, the rear end of the rear section being hinged to a stationary point adjacent to the path of the mail-pieces and separate means for exerting a yielding pressure upon the back of each section to press said sec-tions toward the feeding mechanism at an angle to the path of the mail-pieces and means for limiting the movement of said sections.

3. The combination with a conveyer belt disposed in a horizontal plane, of feeding mechanism disposed in a vertical plane for advancing mail-pieces endwise, a presserwing located above said conveyer belt the same being arranged to form a cpnverging path toward said feeding mechanism, said presser-wing being composed ofa plurality of sections jointedly connected to each other, the rear end of the, rear section being hinged to a stationary point and means for exerting a yielding pressure upon the back of each section.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a conveyer belt and feed- Amechanism, of a sectionally jointed presserwing located at the juncture of said belt and feeding mechanism, and arranged to extend toward the latter .to form a convergling pathway for mail-pieces, the rear end of said wing being hinged to a stationary point, means for exerting a yielding pressure upon the back of eachwing--section and means for permitting a' play in the joint between said sections.

5. In a device of theI class described, the combination of a conveyer belt and feedmechanism, of a sectionally jointed presserwing arranged convergently toward said feed-mechanism to deect the mail-pieces thereto as thy .are advanced upon the conveyer-belt, a justable means for limiting the lateral movement of the sections of said wing and separate springs for pressing the free ends of sa'id sections' toward said feedmechanism.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of la conveyer-belt and feedmechanism, of a presser-wing composed of a plurality of connected sections, saidy Wing being arranged convergent-ly toward said feed mechanism With'its forward end adjacent to the latter to deflect mail-pieces thereto as they are advanced upon the conveyer belt, springs for independently pressing against the backs ofsaid respective sections and a jointed connection between said sections to permit a lateral play between the connected ends of the two, whereby one may be advanced farther into the 'path of the inail-pieces thanthe other When allateral outward pressure is exerted by the mailpieces iipon its fellow.

7. The combination with a conveyer-belt disposed in a horizontal plane of feeding means disposed in a vertical plane for advancing inail-pieces endwise upon their edges, a presser Win;v locatedabove said conveyer belt, the saine being arranged to form a' converging path toward said ,feeding means, said presser-Wing being composed of a plurality ot' sections jointedly connected to each other, the rear end of the rear section being hinged to a stationary point and separate springs forexerting a pressure upon the back of each section, the spring controlling the first section being stronger than that which controls the second.

8. In a device of 'the class described, the combination with feed mechanism for conveying mail-pieces endWise in a given path, of separating means consisting o a presser Wing disposed obliquely to the mai1-pieoe path and in operative proximity thereto, said Wing comprising a plurality of sections jointedly connected to each other and means for separately exerting a yielding pressure upon each section to press said section towardit'he mail-pieces, to enable the former to normally assume varying angles with respect to the mail-piece path, a portion, at least, of one of said sections being arranged to precede the beginning of the operation of the feed mechanism While a portion, vat least,`of another is located in ald- Vance thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specication in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 18th `day of Febru.-

' JOHN T. LYNCH. Witnesses HARRYI. PROMER, JENNIE L. Flsxn. 

